"HeyBub" wrote in message
...
An overview story. But buried in the story is this:

"But progress is being made. CenterPoint Energy, a regional utility
company based in Texas, is in the final stages of constructing a network
of smart meters across the city and suburbs of Houston. By 2013, 2 million
smart meters will track energy use in Texans' homes, and allow CenterPoint
to turn off air conditioning units during times of high demand for
instance, although CenterPoint admits it will need customer consent for
this."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...lights-on.html

Wonder: How can Centerpoint distinguish between an a/c and a 240v welding
machine? Or would they just cut both of them off?

The home is divided into essential and non-essential circuits.